Gauge line wiper



May 21, 1940. B 2,201,517

GAUGE LINE WIPEF.

Filed Oct. 21, 1958 INVENTOR ATTORNEYS Patented May 21, 1940 UNITEDSTATES PATENT OFFICE Claims.

My invention relates to equipment for tanks used for storing oils andthe like, and more particularly to improvements in the thief or gaugehatches used when sampling or gauging'the oil 5 contained in the tank.

Oil field tanks are usually provided with an opening, generallydesignated a thief or gauge hatch, in the top or roof portion, whichopening is normally closed by a suitable cover. Samples of oil are takenout through this opening and it is also customary to measure thequantityv of oil in the tank through the medium of a gauge line whichmay be lowered into the tank through this opening. It frequently happensthat when .the gauge line is withdrawn, oil will drop therefrom onto thetop of the tank. Unless such oil is wiped up, the appearance of the tankwill be marred and a fire hazard will be considerably increased. Aconsiderable amount of rag is wasted in wiping up the oil. In addition,the rags may inadvertently be left on or near the tank and will,therefore, increase the danger of fire.

Accordingly, it is an object of my invention to provide means for wipingoil from the gauge line and returning this oil to the tank after themeasurement has been taken. The wiping means are so devised as toeifectively remove the oil from the tape run of the line in addition toembodying means for effectively removing oil from the bob attachedthereto. Thus I prevent spilling of oil on and about the tank so as tolessen the fire hazard, eliminate the Waste incident to the use ofwiping rags, as well as maintaining 1 5 the tank in neat appearance.

A further object is to provide a wiping unit which may easily andquickly be detachably connected with anchor plates associated with aseries of tanks, thus permitting the wiping unit tobe moved from tank totank soas to eliminate the necessity for permanent wiper installationsin each tank.

In the accompanying drawing:

Figure l is a top plan view of a thief hatch illustrating my inventionapplied thereto;

Figure 2 is a bottom plan view of the structure illustrated in Figure 1;

Figure 3 is a perspective ViBW of the wiper unit;

Figure 4 is a sectional view along the line 4-4 of Figure 1; and

Figure 5 is a plan view of the anchor plate.

In the embodiment selected to illustrate my invention, Figure 4illustrates my invention mounted on the roof I0 of an oil tank having athief hole 12 surrounded by a tubular neck 14.

Neck i4 is flanged at l6 and securely attached to theroof Ill by boltsl8. Neck I4 is provided with a laterally extending flange at its upperend for supporting a flange 22 projecting laterally of v the collar'24.Flanges 20 and 22 arefixedly related through the medium of bolts .26. Acover is hingedly connected at with the collar 24 for closing the openend of the collar. The

cover 28 is normally closed by gravity but may be pivoted about the axisof its hinge 30 to the opening in the collar 24 and the neck I4. Eitherthe flange 20 or 22 may be recessed for accommodating the anchor plate34 so as to permit the flanges to be drawn into close fitting face toface relation when the bolts 26 are tightened. Plate 34 supports mywiping unit 36, and the wiping unit ,is detachably connected with theanchor plate so as to permit the unit to be transferred from tank totank in cases where each tank is not equipped with a permanentlyinstalled wiper.

Referring to Figures 3 and 4, the wiper unit 38 comprises a bottom wall38 formed integrally with side walls 40. 42, 44 and 46 arranged in rightangular relation with the bottom. A cover plate 48 fits loosely withinthe walls to 46.

Between the bottom 38 and the cover plate 48 I mount a body of spongerubber 50 which is of such configuration as to fit snugly against thewalls 40 to 46. Bolts 52 and 54 extend through aligned openings in thebottom 38 and the cover plate48, as well as through the sponge rubberbody 50, and are provided with wing nuts 56 through the medium of whichthe cover plate 48 maybe drawn downwardly on the sponge rubber .body 50for compressing the same.

' Bottom 38 and the cover plate 48 are provided with aligned bores 58 ofa diameter larger than the diameter of the bob attached to the gaugeline. Sponge rubber body 50 is also provided with an opening 60 ofsmaller diameterthan' rubber body for wiping the oil therefrom. The

sponge rubber body is also provided with a vertical slot 62, the wallsof which are arranged in 7 pressure relation. Slot 62 is aligned withwider slots 54 in the bottom 38 and the cover plate 48. In Figure 3 Ihave illustrated a fragment of the gauge line or tape at 66 as beingpositioned in gauge line so as to be completely in the clear thereof.Thus the walls of the slot 62 in the sponge rubber body will resilientlypress the gauge line for effectively wiping the oil therefrom. As theline is elevated to a position which brings its bob into abuttingrelation with the bottom 38, the line is shifted for bringing the :bobunderneath the opening 60 in the sponge rubber body. The bob of the lineis then drawn through the opening 65 so that the wall of the openingwill efiectively wipe the oil from the bob. Oil removed from the gaugeline as well as the bob thereof drops back into the tank so as toprevent any spilling of such oil on or about the exterior of the tank.

Over a long period of use the walls defining the slot 62 may becomeworn, which is also true of the wall defining the opening 60. Tocompensate such wear, cover plate 48 is drawn down through tightening ofthe bolts 52 and 54 through the medium of the wing nuts 56 forcompressing the sponge rubber body and extruding material of the bodyfor compensating any wear caused by the gauge line.

Referring to Figure 2, the anchor plate 34 is slotted at 58 for thereception of one of the bolts 25 so as to facilitate precise positioningof the anchor plate. The plate is provided with a semicircular recessIll in its exposed end, which opening communicates with a slot '12curved concentrically about the axis of an opening 14 in the plate. Tothe bottom 38 I fixedly connect a pin 76 which is bent to provide aright angular reach 18 located adjacent the corner defined by the walls44 and 46. Pin 18 may be inserted through the opening H by tilting theunit 36 up on end to bring the right angular reach 18 into axialalignment with the opening 14. The reach is then pressed through theopening and the unit pivoted to a horizontal position in parallelismwith the anchor plate 34. Figure 4 illustrates the square part 80 of thebolt 52 as lying outside the bottom 38, with the head of the bolt spacedfrom the bottom. The space between the head of the bolt and the bottom38 is such as to receive the thickness of the anchor plate 34.

After positioning of the unit 36 in parallelism With the anchor plate,the unit is rotated about the pin '54 as an axis for pressing the squarepart 39 of the bolt into the recess l2. Thus the right angular reach 78and the bolt head 82 will effectively connect the unit 38 with theanchor plate 3:? so as to support the unit when the gauge line is drawnthrough the slot 62 and the opening 60. W all 46 is curved to conform tothe curvature of the collar 24 so as to permit close fitting relationtherebetween. Semi-circular recess ?5 provides clearance for the bob ofthe gauge line. Thus the anchor plate 34 may be shaped to embody arelatively large supporting area for the unit 36 without interferingwith the gauge line. To the wall 62 I connect a shaft 84 which alignswith one wall of the slots 64 and has close fitting relation'at lit withthe collar 24. Thus shaft 8 may be employed as a guide for leading thegauge line or tape 66 into receiving relation with the slot 62.

Wall 62 is provided with an eye 88 to which I connect one end of a brasschain 90 having its other end provided with a snap 92 which may beconnected with an eye 94 attached to the flange 22. Chain 90 embodiessufficient slack to permit manipulation of the unit 36 for connectingand disconnecting purposes with the snap 92 connected with the eye 94.Chain 90 provides means for preventing the unit 36 from falling to thebottom of the tank in case that it is accidentally dropped duringconnecting and disconnecting manipulation thereof. Bottom 38 and thecover plate 48 comprise brass so as to prevent generation of sparkswhich might be caused by contact between the gauge line and these parts.

Without further elaboration, the foregoing will so fully illustrate myinvention that others may, by applying current knowledge, readily adaptthe same for use under various conditions of service.

I claim:

1. A wiper for an oil measuring line having a bob comprising a yieldablewiping body having a bob wiping opening of normally smaller diameterthan the bob and a line wiping slot extending into said bob wipingopening, pressure plates on opposite sides of said wiping body andhaving openings coaxially aligned with said oil wiping opening but oflarger diameters, said plates being provided with slots lying over saidwiping slot but wider than the latter, and means coacting with saidplates for pressing said wiping body to constrict said bob wipingopening and to narrow said wiping slot.

2. A wiper for an oil measuring tape having a bob, said wiper beingadapted for detachable connection with a supporting plate having anopening and a slot, said wiper comprising a resilient wiping body having2. bob wiping opening of normally smaller diameter than the bob and atape Wiping slot extending into said wiping opening, pressure plates onopposite sides of said wiping body and having openings coaxially alignedwith said wiping opening but of larger diameters, said pressure platesbeing provided with slots lying over said wiping slot but wider than thelatter, means coacting with said pressure plates for pressing saidwiping body to constrict said bob wiping opening and to narrow saidwiping slot, one of said pressure plates having a pivot element forcoaction with the opening in said supporting plate and an elementcoacting with the slot therein for holding the said one plate in fixedrelation to said supporting plate.

3. A wiper for an oil measuring tape having a bob, said wiper beingadapted for detachable connection with a supporting plate having anopening and a slot, said wiper comprising a resilient wiping body havinga bob wiping opening of normally smaller diameter than the bob and atape wiping slot extending into said wiping opening, pressure plates onopposite sides of said wiping body and having openings coaxially alignedwith said wiping opening but of larger diameters, said pressure platesbeing provided with slots lying over said wiping slot but wider than thelatter, a headed bolt extending through aligned openings in saidpressure plates and said wiping body, with the head of the bolt spacedfrom one of said pressure plates to provide a fastening extension, a nuton said bolt adjacent the other of said pressure plates for pressing thepressure plates against said wiping body to constrict said bob wipingopening and to narrow said wiping slot, and a pivot element carried bysaid one of said pressure plates for coaction with the opening in saidsupporting plate, with said fastening extension adapted to be passedinto the slot in the supporting plate with the head of the bolt lyingunderneath said supporting plate.

4. A wiper for an oil measuring line having a bob, said Wiper comprisinga resilient wiping body having a bob wiping opening of normally smallerdiameter than the bob and a line wiping slot extending into said bobwiping opening, a boxlike enclosure having a relatively movable coverpart for enclosing said resilient wiping body, with the bottom of thebox-like enclosure and its cover part provided with openings coaxiallyaligned with said oil wiping opening but of larger diameters, the bottomof said box-like enclosure and said cover part being provided with slotslying over said wiping slot but wider than the latter, and bolt meanscoacting with the bottom of said box-like enclosure and said cover partfor pressing slot, one side wall of said box-like enclosure beingprovided with a slot communicatingwith the slots in the bottom of saidbox-like enclosure and said cover part to constitute an entrance for theoil measuring line, said wiping slot extendingto one edge of the wipingbody and communicating with the slot in said one side wall of theenclosure.

5. In a thief hatch having an anchoring plate provided with an openingand a slot, a wiper unit for an oil measuring tape, said wiper unitcomprising a resilient wiping body having a tape receiving formation forwiping said tape, means for compressing said resilient body to constrictsaid tape receiving formation, a pivot element associated with saidmeans adapted to be in- MthrougmpivotaLmQvementnoLthe wiper unit for Idetachably connecting the wiper unit with the anchor plate.

MARVIN H. Bow. m

